Holy aiptasia outbreak!

[bureau13]

I'm almost wondering if this is actually aiptasia or something else.

A few months ago, I noticed I had a number of aiptasia popping up, so I added an aiptasia-eating filefish. I never actually saw him eat any, but after about a week, they were gone, so I gave him credit and forgot about it...he's a very interesting fish in his own right.

About a week ago I saw what looked like a couple aiptasia popping up, so I thought OK filefish, do your job. A few days later, I see this (see photo). This is pretty much everywhere. What the heck?? I don't know if he's eating them but he's going to need to eat a LOT of them at this rate. My LFS had a healthy and eating Copperband in their display which they were willing to sell me, so I added him (I've been wanting one anyway) and he's sailing about the tank picking at rocks, maybe he's eating these I don't know, but that's just way too many.

The irony is I had SUPER high nitrates that I'm carbon dosing for, and FINALLY got down in the teens. So water quality should be better now. What would trigger an outbreak like this? And is there a whole-tank solution for something so crazy?

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

That's a lot of vermitid snails too. For that many aiptasia you may want to consider berghia nudibranch. Then rehome when they've done their job.

 

[bureau13]

That's a lot of vermitid snails too. For that many aiptasia you may want to consider berghia nudibranch. Then rehome when they've done their job.

I THINK it's former vermetid snails. I never see their little web filaments anymore. The tank has been up for quite a long time, in various stages of upkeep.

My concern about berghia are that its a 240 gal 6 foot tank with wrasses and a hawkfish. That could end up being extremely expensive fish food.

 

[Dread Pirate Dave]

Yeah that wouldn't end well for the berghia. Maybe some peppermint shrimp?

 

[bureau13]

Yeah that wouldn't end well for the berghia. Maybe some peppermint shrimp?

I did order a few of those, probably not enough, but I'll see how they do.

 

[Damage12]

The copperband will get rid of all of them. Just May take a few weeks. My copperband did the same. After years of having him and no aiptasia in the tank, the interesting part is that I still had aiptasia in my overflow where he could not reach. Even after I lost my copperband after having him over 10 years, the aiptasia stayed in the overflow and never came back to the main tank.